Away in a Manger a lullaby for Baby Jesus

The Christmas celebration has reached its peak. Presents, cards, greetings have been exchanged. As the joyous season begins to wind down and before the ornaments and the creche get put away, I would like to milk the occasion to its utmost before this year ends. That, of course, includes giving another listen to Christmas music.

Christmas carols are among the most beautiful songs ever written. Think Silent Night, O Holy Night, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, The First Noel and many others. These tunes are so simple but so full of the Christmas message of peace and love. Performed all over the world during the Yuletide season, they are also among the most enduring.

Some of these carols date back to the fourth century. I google-checked and found Jesus Light of Nations composed by St. Hilary of Poitier and Of the Father’s Love Begotten by the Roman Christian poet Prudentius.

My memory does not go back that far but I have several years’ worth of Christmas carol memories. Those are songs I remember from childhood. As Christmas returns every year, these carols come along bringing those memories.

One of my big favorites is Away in a Manger, whose existence was first recorded in 1882. “Away in the manger/ no crib for a bed/ the little Lord Jesus/ laid down his sweet head.” I think of it as a carol that a child would sing to the baby Jesus while contemplating with all innocence the Savior’s birth.

The song comes back to me with a rather embarrassing incident. I must have been 10 or 11 years old when I came across the lyrics of Away in a Manger. Those were credited to Martin Luther. MARTIN LUTHER!!! I went around school telling girls and teachers that Luther could not have written Away in a Manger.

Why? Because the song has so much love for the baby Jesus and Luther was not nice at all to the Catholic church. In fact, he waged war on the Church and eventually left it. Later on, I learned about the Reformation and more about Luther as a religious reformer and I understood. He could have really loved the baby Jesus. But back then, a young girl getting religious instruction from strict Spanish nuns would never have believed that.

However, many years later, I came across an article saying that Luther was, in fact, mistakenly credited with Away in a Manger because no manuscript of the original German lyrics exists. It was said that the carol is actually American in origin. German or American, the composers remain unknown. So, it can still be Luther who could have written it for his son.

What exists today are melody settings for the lyrics, the most popular of which is the one by William J. Kirkpatrick and James Ramsey Murray. This is what became the most popular version, performed by big name singers and heard all over the world during the Christmas season.

It is always important to give credit to songwriters but it is almost a certainty that we will never find out who did Away in a Manger. But no matter. Whoever he was deserves a huge thank you for coming up with the sweetest lullaby for the baby Jesus.

“Away in a manger no crib for his bed/ The little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet head/ The stars in the bright sky look down where he lay/ The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

“The cattle are lowing/ The baby awakes/ But the little Lord Jesus no crying he makes/ I love you Lord Jesus look down from the sky/ and stay by my cradle/ till morning is nigh.

“Be near me Lord Jesus/I ask thee to stay/ Close by me forever and love me I pray/ Bless all the dear children in thy tender care/ and take us to heaven to live with thee there.”

Looking forward to another joyful Christmas next year.